Betrayal

Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - The Betrayal

Once in her room alone, she pressed a toggle under her study table and a small drawer appeared. It had a small album of pictures of her and her father. She had cut out all the pictures of her mother or any other sibling from it. She only kept hers, her sister's and her father's. She flipped through them until she came to a photo of her smiling from ear to ear with her father on her return home from abroad. Eurus was also abroad right now. Adela hoped she was safe as Eurus was bullied at her school here. She had lost the spirit of celebrating her birthday after her father passed away last year. She ran a finger through the photo and tears streamed down her face. Only three people mattered to her in the world. Thea, her father and Eurus. She put the album back safely and closed the hidden compartment. She strode to her bed and laid there wide-awake. She could not sleep. It was half past eleven now.

After waiting for sleep to occur, she gave up the thought and sat up. There was a distant whispering which was bothering her. She went closer to the source and pressed her ears with the wall. It was Thea and Margaret. What were they talking about at this hour? She pressed harder and could make out what they were saying.

"You do know how dangerous it is, don't you?" Thea said.

"And do you intend to give up the idea of seeking freedom for your own family and are you okay with letting me down?" Margaret hissed.

She said it so convincingly that for a moment, Adela almost felt bad for what she had done to Margaret all these years. Feeling bad was a miracle. Adela was a sociopath. She had to come back to reality.

"We do not have enough funds," said Thea.

"And we also know exactly where to get them," Margaret answered.

There was a moments silence, where Adela almost thought they caught her listening through the walls.

"No," Thea said, as if terrified.

"Yes. You need to get them from the foolish girl and from your family treasury."

"My family is bankrupt, aunt. I cannot do this. Our only hope is her", Thea said.

Thea said her with so much hatred, Adela almost came to think it could not be her.

"Listen. You are different. That is exactly why I chose you. This little money can bring on wealth beyond human thinking for us," Margaret insisted.

Adela could hear Thea sigh.

"You are right, aunt. I'll try my best"

"I may, no, I will die in the process, Thea. I want you to have a wonderful life. I want you to live peacefully and happily. I want to take revenge from that witless, ignorant girl. She cannot know about this, Thea, nor should she have a clue about the previous schemes."

Adela could not believe her ears. She pinched herself to confirm this all wasn't a nightmare. She waited to wake up, but she already was. She could feel her heart beating faster. What did they mean? What were they hiding from her? And Thea? How could she collide with Margaret? What did they want from her so badly? She tried to shake the thought out of her mind but it was true. She sat back on her bed, almost wishing she had not heard the conversation.

Early in the morning, Adela got up from her bed. She had not slept the entire night. She rubbed her eyes and took a handful of paint and splashed it on a canvas with Thea's portrait she was making earlier.